MVSD SAU 46 Joins Lakes Region Consortium, Opens Cross-District Courses To High School Students

CONCORD, NH — High school students across New Hampshire's Lakes Region now have a new way to take classes beyond their home campuses through a partnership involving 11 schools and more than 5,000 students.

The Lakes Region High School Consortium allows students from member schools to enroll in a course at another partner school if space is available and the student can travel there on their own. The participating schools are Belmont, Franklin, Gilford, Inter-Lakes in Meredith, Kingswood Regional in Wolfeboro, Laconia, Merrimack Valley in Penacook, Moultonborough Academy, Newfound Regional in Bristol, Prospect Mountain in Alton, and Winnisquam Regional in Tilton.

Superintendent Michael Tursi of the Shaker Regional School District described the effort to members of the Merrimack Valley Board of Education during its monthly meeting on Thursday in Penacook.

“This was a collaborative effort by superintendents, assistant superintendents, principals, school counseling departments, and school boards to develop an agreement and make sure students can cross districts to take these classes,” he said.

Under the agreement, a student may attend a class in another district if that course is not offered in the student's home district or if the class at home is already full. School counselors compile a list of course offerings and available seats, then help direct students to an option that fits.

The agreement was also presented as a regional approach to educational access.

“Every student is part of the Lakes Region, not just part of their local district,” he said. “We look at students as a whole group, so let’s open opportunities to them.”

Board of Education members praised the collaboration behind the agreement and its focus on educational success, according to the source material. Members also noted the arrangement gives students a chance to meet peers from other communities in the region.

Mark MacLean, executive director of the New Hampshire School Administrators Association, said the model reflects how public schools work together.

“Public schools pride themselves on collaboration, creativity, and choice,” he said. “The Lakes Region Consortium exemplifies this spirit by opening opportunities and innovative pathways to students in the participating high schools. As Consortium schools welcome regional students to their programs and courses, high schoolers in the Lakes Region now have expanded access to pursue their passions and better prepare for their futures. The entire Lakes Region learning community benefits from this effort. We look forward to seeing this initiative grow and prosper.”